Travelling bag construction



July 7, 1959 H. G. MITCHELL 2,393,523

TRAVELLING BAG CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 1, 1956 INVENTOR i Horace G. Mile/(ell ATTORNEYS TRAVELLING BAG CONSTRUCTION Horace Greeley Mitchell, New York, N.Y., assignor to Ahercrombie & Fitch Company, New York, N. a corporation of New York Application October 1, 1956, Serial No. 613,012 2 Claims. (Cl. 190-41) My invention relates to a suitcase construction.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved suitcase construction.

It is another object to provide a suitcase including an improved suit-retaining framework, whereby clothes may be transported in better pressed condition.

It is a general object to achieve the above objects with a simple, light-weight construction.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a suitcase incorporating features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the case of Fig. 1, with the cover opened, and with suit-retaining bars of my invention in open position so as to illustrate the manner of use;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken in the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective to illustrate a modification.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates application to rectangular prismatic suitcases, particularly of the variety in which one of the large sides is open, there being a cover removably securable over such open side. Clothes-hanging fixture means may be secured within the body of the suitcase on one lateral side thereof so that when a suit is supported thereon, part of the body of the suit will lie flat in the body of the suitcase, and the remaining part will be draped outside the suitcase and over the lateral side opposite the first-mentioned lateral side. A first elongated bar is movably secured in the case so as to be positioned near the second lateral side to permit retention of a first fold of the suit, and a second elongated bar is movably secured in the case so as to be positioned near the first-mentioned lateral side to permit retention of a second fold of the suit.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, my invention is shown in application to a suitcase having a body 10, with a large side thereof open so as to be removably closed by a cover panel 11. The particular suitcase illustrated is of the variety in which a generally rectangular metallic reinforcing strip 9 extends continuously within the periphery of the canvas or other flexible covering of the body 10, as for example to reinforce a first end side 12, a first lateral side 13, a second end side 14, and a second lateral side 15. Zipper means 16 is shown for securely closing the cover 11 to the body 10. In the form shown, the same type of construction happens to be provided on the other side of the suitcase, there being a second cover 17 removably secured to the body by zipper means 18; however, for the purposes of the present description, I shall concern myself only with suit-retaining means in relation to the single cover 11.

The suit-retaining means of my invention may include a suitable bracket or fixture 20 anchored within the body United States Patent O 2,893,523 Patented July 7, 1959 ice.

10 and to the reinforcement 9 for the lateral side wall 13 of the body 10. The fixture 20 shown happens to be of the variety which may removably accommodate a plurality of hangers 21, so that a suit 22 may first be vertically hung on the hanger 21, and then the suit and hanger connected to the bracket 20. When thus applied to the bracket 20, the suit 22 will be in part laid flat on the bottom or compartment divider 23, with a portion 24 of the suit hanging externally of the body 10.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a first elongated bar 25 removably securable in a retaining position adjacent the lateral side 15, so that the projecting part 24 of the suit may be folded back into the case and over the shoulder portion of the suit. Depending upon the size of the suit, this first fold may or may not be sufiicient to accommodate the whole suit. For most men, however, and for the particular suitcase to which I have applied my invention, the lower part of the suit will project beyond the top rim of the lateral side 15. To permit retention of a second fold of the suit, I provide a second elongated bar 26, removably securable substantially parallel to the lateral sides 13-15 and near or adjacent the side 13. Fig. 3 illustrates positions of the retaining bars 25-26 when in the closed or secured position, and it will be understood that the second and final fold of the suit 22 is made around bar 26 and within the suit compartment of the case.

In the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the retaining bars 2526 are formed with arms, as at 27 for the bar 25, and at 23 for the bar 26. The arms 27 for bar 25 are hinged at 29 to the end side walls 12-14, so that they may be raised to elevate the bar 25 substantially free of the suit-loading volume, thereby permitting clear access for packing or removing the suit. The arms 28 for the bar 26 are shown formed with offset ends 30 near the points 30 of pivotal support. The location 30' of pivotal support is preferably about half way up the storage space between the divider or compartment bottom 23 and the cover 11, as shown in Fig. 3, and an abutment stop 31 may be carried by the frame of the body 10 so as to determine an outer or open position for the arms 28 and bar 26, shown in dotted lines 28' in Fig. 3. When in such open position, it will be appreciated that the bar 26 serves the added desirable function of conveniently supporting most of the free-end portion 24; this allows the free end 24 to be carefully laid over the extended bar 26 before raising the same to fold the suit into the case. Thus, the only operations needed to complete packing for the situation depicted in Fig. 2 are first, to depress bar 25, and then to move bar 26 up, over, and back to the position shown in full in Fig. 3. This operation automatically and correctly folds the suit so that the cover 11 may be closed immediately.

In Fig. 4, I show a modification in which the retaining members 35-36 are separate bars removably attached on fastening brackets 37-38 to the end sides (as at 12) of the suitcase. When secured, the retaining bars 35-36 are still preferably oriented near and substantially parallel to the lateral sides 13-15, as in the general relationship depicted in Fig. 3 for the bars 25-26. In the form shown in Fig. 4, the particular securing brackets 37-38 are of the variety in which plural notches 39-40 are provided, so that each bar 35 or 36 may be removably retained at various selected depths, depending upon the thickness or weight of the suit or suits to be retained thereby. Thus, having first hung the suit on a hanger and having attached the hanger to the bracket 20 on lateral side 13, with the free end 24 draped over the opposite lateral side 15, the ends of bar 36 may be inserted in brackets 38, near the front corners of the end sides 12 and 14 (not shown). The suit end 24 may then be folded back to drape over the lateral side 13, and the bar 35 secured in brackets 37, near the rear corners of the cypo .fqld vremai the bar 35.

It will be appreciated that I have described an improved suitcase construction featuring ease of manipulaup on and reliableretention of a suit or suitshung and ,pacl ed therein. Thearrangement is such as toassure ,that,,the suit will, not bunchup even ifsthe suitcase is lightly loaded. In other-words, ,-the retaining mechanism 3 f onthegsuit, does not depend upon a tightly loaded suitc ase to keep the. suit in place. In application to a fabriccovered, metal-reinforced box of, the variety shown, the construction features compactness, -:capacity,, and. con- .venience. For example, a suitcase measuring 22" x 15" x 5 6"; canbe fully packed with suit, .shoes, shaving. kit,.and changes, ot 1inen,;en9u,gh for a business week; andyet the loaded. weight approximates, only 16 /2 pounds: By prov'ding asuit-hanging compartment separatefrom the remai ning volume 41,1 assurethat a suit may remain neatningfree end of ,the suit back over ,ly, folded. regard1ess of .how often-access ishadto the" contents of the compartment 41.

While I have-.describedthe invention inndetail for ,thepreferred forms shown, it will 'be-understood that modifications ,may be made within the .scope of" the invention asdefined in the claims which follow.

, I claim:

1. In arsuitcase, a compartment having four upstanding stiif. sides and a bottom all defining a rectangular 1 vbox-like:structure, a clothes ;hanger-fixtu re secured to the inside of one of said sides, a U-shaped retaining bar having the free ends of the legsof the 'U-pivotally sup- -;por ted; in opposite sides of said compartment, adjacent end sidesll;and;14:;(n0t; shown). Packing is completed I '4 the side opposite to said hanger fixture, said ends of said ,legsabeing pivoted...below..the. tops. of. the .sides. of said compartment, the said legs adjacent said pivoted ends being offset so as to clear the said side opposite the said hanger fixture and extend generally parallel to the bottom of and on the outside of said compartment to sustain part of a garmenton the outside of the compartment while packing, and a'second generally U-shaped bar memberainzsaiducompartnrentzand having? the legs of the U pivoted to said opposite sides of said compartment at-pointsremovedfrom'saidside opposite .said hanger to swing adjacent'totheinsideof 'saidside'opposite to said hanger to hold down a part of a garment on said hanger and :rresting-ort the bottom of 'said compartment, said first mentioned retainingrbar being swingable into said compartment to hold down a part'of a" garment adjacent to said hanger.

2. In the combination defined in claim 1, and abutmentlstops means in saidcompartment to limit the swing -ofthe legs ofvsaid-first-mentioned U'-shaped retaining bar on the outside of said compartment to a position generally ,paralleltothe bottom of saidcontainer.

Reference's'Gited' in the file of this patent UNITED "STATES PATENTS 

